Foods to avoid Cholesterol

Introduction

There was this article which outlined the relationship between obesity (more accurately, an enlarged waistline) with an increasing risk of cardiovascular disease. And with heart disease being the number one killer around the world, the medical community is exhorting their patients to switch to a healthier lifestyle, most importantly in regards to what they eat.

But after all this research, the fact that your diet is one of the biggest contributors to increased levels of bad cholesterol is common knowledge these days, leaving people to really watch (and eliminate) foods that lift those cholesterol levels substantially.

To be honest, some of the food out there is heart-rending…

So, how does the food we eat affect our 'bad' cholesterol levels?

Our Diet and bad cholesterol levels

Now for those who think that cholesterol is bad, think again. Cholesterol is a vital nutrient that is required for our body tissues, and is carried to and fro between the liver and body tissue by lipoproteins, known as LDLs (low density lipoproteins) and HDLs (high density lipoproteins).

As soon as our LDL levels increase, thanks to the food we eat which contains high cholesterol, this makes us more susceptible to heart disease. Not only that, if the HDL levels drop, that leaves us just as vulnerable to heart disease as the former.

Finally, one should also watch the triglyceride levels in the bloodstream that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

So, apart from maintaining a healthy diet…  exercise, weight loss, smoking cessation and avoiding alcohol abuse are all important pieces to the puzzle when it comes to heart care.

So your next question could be, what kind of nutrients will help maintain the right LDL, HDL, triglyceride levels?

Maintaining HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels through a healthy diet

Since all these factors are related to each other in one way or another, here are some broad guidelines that one can follow to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Experts says that a lacto-vegetarian diet is ideal consisting of whole grains, seeds, fruits and vegetable with a serious reduction of the amount of sugar and salt in your food. Another focus is that on foods that contain soluble fiber, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids (good fats) while one should drop foods from the list that are high in carbohydrates and cholesterol (obviously!!).

Now, half the battle is won when you know which foods are the worst for your heart, and since prevention is better than cure, let's look at a list of foods that you must avoid in order to have a healthy heart.

Foods that are high in cholesterol

In looking at a list of high cholesterol foods, one realizes that there are so many, and sadly they're the tastiest of the lot. However, there are two nutrients (if I might call it that!) that lead to high cholesterol such as saturated fats (which increase both triglyceride and LDL levels) and cholesterol from animals. But it's the ones that are loaded with bad fats are the ones that should be watched for, as opposed to those with moderate cholesterol content (which is required for the body!).

And from this, one can infer that most foods which have high levels of saturated fat are animal-based foods such as eggs, meat, fish, poultry, milk with higher fat content while processed foods which contain trans fats like pastries, muffins and so on and so forth are also on that list.

So, the key to a heart-healthy diet is to watch out for foods that are high in saturated fats and trans fats!

In closing

One cannot discount the importance of physical activity apart from watching what you eat. Exercise, by itself, can bring positive changes to your cholesterol levels… so one should keep this also in mind, which not only makes you feel better but helps you reduce obesity levels (that have a distinct connection with heart disease).

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